Biography

Close your eyes at a Cold Specks concert and you're immediately transported to the soulful landscape of the Deep South. That's because Al Spx -- who goes by the stage name Cold Specks -- is armed with an enormous gospel voice that lends itself beautifully to what she likes to call "doom soul". It's a fitting description, as Spx's catalog is comprised of gothic imagery, claustrophobic melodies, touches of Tom Waits-inspired blues, and a velvety, husky voice that rises above it all. In concert she creates an intimate, engaging atmosphere that finds her seamlessly transitioning between a cappella solos and lead vocals for a six-piece band complete with dazzling trumpet solos and thumping percussion. Spx's show-stopping talents will enthrall lucky ticket buyers with a live experience unlike any other.

BACKGROUND SNAPSHOT:

Canadian singer-songwriter Al Spx grew up in Ontario, Canada and began composing songs as a teenager. At 22 she moved to London and teamed up with producer Jim Anderson, the brother of a childhood friend who had become enamored with her powerhouse voice. Spx's breakout performance on Later... With Jools Holland -- in which she sang a show-stopping a cappella hymn -- helped propel the success of her critically praised debut album, 2012's I Predict A Graceful Explosion. For her sophomore follow-up, she holed up in a cottage in northern England and crafted 2014's Neuroplasticity, an adventurous, haunting collection of gothic hymns. She's also collaborated with experimental rockers Swans and lent her voice to two tracks on Moby's 2013 album Innocents.